Our Staff

Bettina (she/hers) has more than 15 years of professional leadership experience in the nonprofit, creative, and business sectors. Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she comes to Boulder from San Luis Obispo, where she served as the CEO of Downtown SLO in San Luis Obispo, California, a place management organization advocating for small business, local economic vitality, public safety, and a cultural center. An alumna of Colorado College and a longtime arts advocate in Colorado Springs and across the state, she is committed to positioning cultural and arts activities as essential to healthy economic development. She uses design principles with an equity lens to empower and activate communities, and she is an advocate for diversity and inclusion as critical to business and organizational success. She is passionate about music, wordplay, and the outdoors. If you see her riding her electric tricycle, be sure to say hello.

Terri Takata-Smith is a seasoned marketing and PR strategist with 16+ years as VP of Marketing & Communications for the Downtown Boulder Partnership. Passionate about community building and idea-sharing, she is Board Chair for Downtown Colorado, Inc. and a Visit Boulder Board Member. Terri is excited to be a 2025 Special Districts Association Leadership Academy Fellow. She is also a 2020 International Downtown Association Emerging Leaders Fellow and holds a Leadership in Place Management Certification from IDA. Terri is dedicated to fostering vibrant downtowns through strategic storytelling, collaboration, and advocacy.

Sue Hempstead (she/hers) has been a part of the team since 1998, starting out as the office assistant in the three person organization. A native of Boulder, she loves working in the city where she grew up. Sue earned a bachelor’s degree from Cal State Long Beach. Although her degree wasn’t in accounting, she has grown to love handling the finances for the Downtown Boulder organizations.

Anna Salim (she/hers) is an experienced place management professional who has been with the Downtown Boulder Partnership for 15 years. She oversees the planning, execution and sponsorship sales for over a dozen community events, manages the organization’s operations team and clean and safe programs, and oversees special projects for Downtown Boulder Community Initiatives (501(c)(3)). She holds a Leadership in Place Management Certification from the International Downtown Association and is a certified TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures) trainer. She served on the City of Boulder's Arts Commission (2010 - 2015) and currently serves on the board for the PTO at Lafayette Elementary School. She is committed to building a strong sense of community through engaging programs and initiatives while supporting a clean, safe, and welcoming downtown.

Dave Adams (he/hims) is a longtime Boulder resident. With 35 years in the restaurant business, Dave joined Downtown Boulder in 2000. He currently works part-time assisting businesses overcome challenges operating in a downtown environment as the Business Liaison. In his free time, Dave enjoys skiing, mountain biking, swimming, and playing tennis or squash.

Kat grew up in Boulder and is passionate about making a difference in her local community. She is a lifelong learner, nature lover, and night sky enthusiast who joined the team after working several years in program management. Kat is excited to be a 2025 Boulder County Leadership Fellow and further contribute to the community as President of the Boulder Chamber's Bolder Young Professionals Advisory Committee. She is dedicated to producing creative programming, supporting the growth of partnership initiatives, and fostering a welcoming downtown.

The downtown district has been Melanie’s home base for entertainment, dining and shopping since coming to Boulder to attend CU. Melanie (she/hers) grew to know our remarkable business community through her tenure in Boulder’s hotel industry and the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. She also had the opportunity to work for the CU-Boulder Alumni Association in a number of capacities and most recently worked to build and strengthen the triathlon team for D3 Multisport. Building community, connecting with businesses and creating value within DBP is what she is passionate about.

Stephen (he/him) moved to Colorado in 2001 and has considered it home ever since. He has always had a passion for live music and events, and has worked in the music industry since attending the University of Colorado, where he graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. With nearly 20 years of experience in live events, he is excited to share his passion with the community that he grew up in, and give the residents of Boulder memorable experiences for years to come. When he is not organizing downtown events, you can find him making art, cycling or spending time with his cats and dog.

Tana Benitez (she/her) was born in Manila, Philippines, but is no stranger to Boulder. Having lived downtown for over 19 years, she has returned after four years on the East Coast, earning her degree from Villanova University. Tana takes March Madness quite seriously. With a strong background in storytelling and a deep love for her hometown, she is committed to keeping Downtown Boulder’s messaging vibrant, authentic, and relevant. Outside of downtown, you'll likely find her trying to reach her goal of summiting all 199 of Boulder's hiking trails or catching a concert at Red Rocks.